


The Chat Blanc Puppet

by mommywrites



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Gen, Post-Episode: s03 Chat Blanc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:53:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21659353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mommywrites/pseuds/mommywrites
Summary: Marinette made a puppet of Chat Blanc. She got to babysit Manon and told her the story (leaving out a detail or two). And, of course, Manon can't resist to re-tell the story to the first person who would listen.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 22
Kudos: 417





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I just had to get this out of my system and now I can come back to my long fic, yeah.  
> Might be a bit sad ... definitely more sad than anything else I wrote. So far.  
> Also not edited ...

Chat Blanc Puppet

Marinette was tossing and turning in her bed. Tikki used to watch over her during the nights, beware that the current condition of her chosen was rather inviting for the violet butterflies. They did not come for her, so Tikki now rested. Marinette failed to get any sleep onto her eyes. She was tossing and turning. It was bothering her. It was stealing her sleep.  
She was a guardian, but what bothered her more was that she lost master Fu. But she was not loosing sleep tonight because of that.  
And it was not the miracle box that was safely hidden in the trunk, together with all the gifts she had made for Adrien.  
Adrien. It was not even him, nor when she saw him happy with Kagami and how he gently caressed her cheek. Yes, she was sometimes sad and she did not get rid of the gifts she made for him, but they were not the reason she was loosing sleep.  
And it was not Luka, whom she could not love the way he loved her. She wanted to try. She tried. She failed. And he was probably hurting because of that, but he never showed it. And he never used it against her.  
Ever since she had to fight Chat Blanc, he kept coming back into her thoughts every evening. He was there. Calling Ladybug by her real name. He knew her identity. And he loved her. The boy loved her, Marinette. And she had to fight him. And she had to purify his akuma. And that part was hard, but it was also easy. He returned to being Chat Noir again. And he called her by her real name again, and he spoke how much he loved her, how much they loved each other. The way he spoke, she loved him too, in some other timeline. And she had to destroy that timeline. She had to destroy their happiness.  
There was a timeline in which she loved Chat Noir, and he loved her back. He loved even her civilian self. They knew each other civilian identities. And they were happy, at least that was what he was saying. But, somehow, their love has destroyed their world.  
Marinette realized she was clutching to the Chat Noir doll she made about a year ago.  
She sat up on her bed.  
Perhaps, it was time to make another one.  
It was not like she was getting any sleep, wasn’t it?  
She switched on her light and got down the ladder from her loft bed while she held the Chat Noir puppet to her chest. She opened the closet and took out the material. This time, it was white.

The next morning was a Saturday. She was woken up by the alarm. She was expected to help out downstairs at the bakery during the rush hour. Usually she was just packing up the boxes for delivery. Sometimes she was doing deliveries, but now Luka usually covered all of them.  
She looked at the Chat Noir and Chat Blanc puppets, she clutched them both to her chest. She smiled and got up. At least she got a few hours of sleep once she made the doll.  
It was good to work at the bakery, she was busy, her thoughts did not wander (too often) to any of the boys. Luka appeared twice to pick up the orders to be delivered, but it was Sabine and Tom who checked the paperwork and addresses as they quickly concluded their daughter was a bit distracted that morning. (They were making the Chat Noir and Ladybug themed muffins and she managed to produce white decorations for the Chat muffins, that was something rather telling.)  
After the morning rush hour was finished, Tom and Sabine kept giving her small tasks around the bakery when the bell chimed for yet another customer.  
“Adrien! What a nice surprise.” Sabine greeted adding a few extra decibels for her daughter who was in the back, in the bakery kitchen, working with her father.  
Tom heard Sabine, but Marinette was distracted. She had just finished packing the muffins and she stared at those few Chat Blanc muffins she made by error that morning. Her back was turned to her father, otherwise he would have seen that her eyes started to tear up.  
Sabine finished with the customer whom she was serving, and Marinette did not appear yet.  
“Tom, do you have anything to deliver for the display cases?” she was giving her husband a hint.  
Tom finally circled over Marinette and noticed his daughter was not okay. He knew there was something wrong, and it might have been related to the boy Sabine just greeted in the bakery. Or perhaps it was something related to Luka. Or maybe it was that girl in school. He was considering if it was smart to send her in the shop with some pastries. But she quickly wiped the tears off her face, took a tray full of warm croissants and walked over to the shop.  
She did not even see Adrien when she entered, she automatically started to fill the empty display case. Her mother was really out of croissants at that moment.  
“Good morning Marinette.” Adrien greeted with his genuine smile as soon as he saw her. But his smile fell when he saw her eyes. So blue and so sad.  
“Good morning Adrien.” Marinette replied automatically with a practised ease as she would any other customer while behind the counter. But this was Adrien. Well, that did not matter any more. He was with Kagami.  
“So what would you like to have?” Sabine smiled politely while she was packing the order for Adrien’s bodyguard.  
“A croissant, please.” Adrien replied without thinking, it was what Marinette was packing. He wondered what made the girl so sad. She was obviously crying over something. He wanted to talk to her. “Actually, please make it two.” He smiled politely. “We have a photo shoot today.” He was about to invite her over to the photo shoot, but she looked busy and then the bell chimed again.  
It was Nadia.  
She brought Manon.  
“Sabine, hi!” Nadia greeted from the door. “Do you think Marinette would be available to take care of Manon for a few hours this afternoon?”  
“Hi Nadia, Hi Manon.” Marinette greeted with a smile that did not really reach her eyes.  
“Oh, Marinette, hi, I did not see you behind the counter” Nadia greeted apologetically. The truth was Marinette did hide her face behind the display glass once she felt how Adrien studied her face.  
And there went his plan to cheer her up!  
“Well, the rush hour is finished.” Sabine shrugged. “She can take Manon even now, if she wants.”  
“I can do that.” Marinette shrugged back.  
“Okay, I do not necessarily need you to start right away, but if you could, it would really save me some time.” the woman smiled, she was relieved.  
“No problem, Manon, come over here.” Marinette greeted the girl and let her pass behind the counter.  
“Nice to see you Adrien. Good luck with your shoto phoot.” she greeted and disappeared into the kitchen with Manon and not waiting for his reply. He smiled sympathetically, she was still mixing up words (in front of him, but he was not exactly paying attention to notice it was only in front of him).

Marinette took Manon in her room, and the first thing Manon went after was the Chat Blanc puppet. She asked, she nagged, she whined and she screamed until Marinette gave in and told the girl the story of Chat Blanc (at least the short part that she knew, without her name, of course).  
And that was like a therapy. Telling someone, anyone, even a six year old child (I’m not sure if Manon is six of five?) the story of Chat Blanc was as if someone took a huge weight off her shoulders. The ache in her chest was slightly better, she breathed more easily, and she played and played with the Chat Blanc puppet and the Ladybug puppet. And then Ladybug (held by Manon because she had to win otherwise the next Puppeteer might produce a Chat Blanc) won and Marinette switched the Chat Blanc puppet for a Chat Noir puppet and Manon cheered.  
Then Sabine called for lunch and both girls went downstairs to eat. They were finished quickly, but her mother was even faster as she went downstairs and Tom arrived for his short break.  
“Do you need any more help in the bakery today, papa?” Marinette asked quietly.  
“Oh no, thank you, you have Manon, perhaps the two of you could go in the park and fetch some sun?” Tom proposed with a wide smile.  
“Yeah yeah, can we take the puppets too?” Manon whined.  
Marinette was too tired to argue so she agreed. Besides if Manon was running around the park she could spend her excess energy and it was easier than if the girl was running around her room and wasting her energy on making a mess out of it.  
Downstairs in the kitchen, Tom gave her a box with snacks for the park and the girls left.

Adrien was bored to the bones.  
The photo shoot was a disaster.  
They took a few good shots in one set of clothing. It was cloudy, the light was disperse and not too bright.  
But then he changed clothes. Into complete white.  
And the skies have changed. Into cloudless bright blinding sunny.  
Vincent was not happy.  
“There is no filter for this!” he protested. “This is sun at noon.” he continued. “O sole mio .. “ he sang. He sent his assistant into the studio to get some transparent shades, otherwise they would have to wait until late afternoon or clouds to come back (whatever comes first).  
Adrien went back into the temporary tent and changed back into his regular clothing. He took his croissants and hid them while he was looking for a place in the park to eat them in peace. He did not want his father to learn about his pastry. That was not what his dietitian approved. Nor his father. Nor Nathalie.  
Then, at the other end of the park, he saw a familiar pigtailed girl.  
“Come on, lover boy” Plagg teased from his shirt.  
Adrien flushed red but walked over there. Once he was at a safe distance he scolded Plagg but he got teased even more so he gave up.  
“Hi Marinette” he smiled his genuine smile. She looked better, brighter than that morning.  
“H..hi Adrien” Marinette smiled back. She might have got even a little bit of colour into her face once she saw him, she was so pale that it really improved the way she looked.  
“My photo shoot is not going well, too much sun, to little filter, or something. I have some time to spare. Mind if I join you?” he asked politely.  
“Sure, I mean, not at all, I mean please do … join me, us, um well I am actually babysitting so that is … if you still want?” Marinette stuttered out.  
He was about to respond that he would still want to, yes, thank you very much, but he was interrupted.  
“Hi Adrien, look what I got.” Manon showed the Chat Blanc puppet into his face. She clutched the other two onto her chest.  
“What is that?” Adrien furrowed his brows. He knew Marinette was making the puppets that resembled superheroes, he saw Chat Noir and Ladybug puppets and he loved them. But, this one was different, it was the same shape as Chat Noir, but white suited, and with icy blue eyes. He stared at the familiar face and familiar shape but in a wrong colour.  
“That is Chat Blanc.” Manon replied proudly. “That was what Chat Noir looked like when he was akumatized.”  
“Chat Noir was akumatized?” he wondered out loud. He was rather certain he would know about that, right? The akumatized victims did not remember what they did while they were akumatized, but they certainly knew they were akumatized, right? Was he wrong about that? He had to ask Ladybug about that at the next opportunity.  
“Oh yes, he got akumatized. He loved Ladybug so much and she loved him back and he learned about her civilian identity and then he destroyed the world.” Manon chatted. “So Ladybug had to travel to the future and fight him and then destroy that timeline.” the little girl continued.  
Adrien stared at the little girl.  
Marinette was mortified, she panicked, she virtually stopped breathing and then gasped for air as if she was drowning. Adrien looked at her and then back at the little girl. Marinette tried to stop Manon from talking, it was obvious she did not want Manon to re tell the story. It was obviously a story that Marinette had told Manon before.  
The story was believable. It was more believable than any story, literally anything that Lila had ever said. If that had happened in some other timeline, then he could not remember those events.  
“Can you tell me again how it happened?” Adrien smiled to the little girl. He wanted to hear more. Marinette waved her hands, she tried to stop it but nobody could stop Manon. The little girl chatted and rambled and told the story repeated several parts and re-enacted the events with the puppets just like Marinette had shown her merely an hour ago.  
“Manon, please don’t.” Marinette tried to stop the girl, her eyes were wet again. Was that the reason her eyes were wet that morning?  
And then Ladybug won and Manon threw the Chat Blanc onto the ground and replaced it with the Chat Blanc doll.  
“No” Marinette spoke quietly and threw herself on her knees, she picked up Chat Blanc puppet from the ground and hugged it to her chest. Adrien could not help but notice that a tear escaped her eye before she hid her face behind her bangs and wiped the tears with her sleeve.  
“But he still knew her identity and he still loved her. So she had to remove the timeline where they loved each other and knew the identities of each other.” Manon concluded her story.  
Adrien was frozen. He looked at Manon with his eyes wide and his mouth slightly opened. He had to remind himself to breathe.  
Manon continued to talk after a short break rambling again and again about the identities and love and erased timeline.  
Marinette was on her knees in front of him clutching to the Chat Blanc doll and obviously doing all she could not to cry.  
There was a timeline where his lady loved him? There was a timeline where he knew her identity? And he loved her, of course he did. He smiled. But their love had destroyed the world and she had to erase that timeline? Did that really happen?  
Well, that time he was Aspik also happened but it was only him who remembered.  
Ladybug was brought to the future, so was it the same Ladybug that loved him? Did she remember loving him? Did she remember his identity? How did Marinette know all that. He knew she must have been a friend with Ladybug. Perhaps Ladybug confided in her and spilled her sorrow just to share the load, to feel a little better. He could not blame her for searching out a friend. And he knew Marinette was amazing, she helped them both as Multimouse. She was really amazing. She had earned their trust. But he could not help himself.  
“Marinette” he called quietly. “Are you okay?” It was such a stupid question, she was obviously not okay. Perhaps the story about Chat Blanc was too much for her. He remembered how she once told Chat Noir she loved him. Was this about that? How was he supposed to help his friend who was obviously not well?  
“And look at these muffins” Manon continued with her ramble pulling the boy towards the box with Chat Blanc muffins that Tom had packed for their snack in the park. Adrien stared at the muffins. White, blue eyes.  
“Uncle Tom said Marinette was very imaginative this morning.” Manon giggled and mispronounced the long word but Adrien understood.  
He helped Marinette onto her feet, he practically pulled her up against her will and took her to a bench nearby while Manon brought the muffins.  
“Can I see it?” Adrien smiled and tried to take the Chat Blanc puppet. Marinette first clutched onto it but then she finally let go.  
Adrien looked at it. He held the Chat Noir doll next to it.  
“These are amazing Marinette.” he whispered.  
She sighed and looked away.  
“No, I really mean it.” he nudged her and she looked back.  
“But the story, did you make it up?” he asked quietly.  
She first gave one nod but then she waved her head.  
She wanted to lie but then she could not.  
This was a mess.  
She was not even able to speak.  
She swallowed.  
“Ladybug, you know this story because you know Ladybug?” he tried, he had to ask, he could not just tell her he knew because of Evilustrator and because of Multimouse.  
She stiffened.  
“That, what Manon had said, did that really happen?” Adrien whispered.  
Marinette was silent and motionless. She stared at the Chat Blanc puppet held by Adrien.  
“In another timeline, I mean” Adrien smiled. “I am sure we would know if Chat Noir got akumatized. You know Alya.”  
She finally nodded.  
“Yes.” she whispered. “So they loved each other and they knew their identities and the world got destroyed.”  
Adrien felt shiver go down his spine.  
“She can’t ever love him. They must never reveal their identities to each other.” She whispered again. She did not know why she was telling that to Adrien, of all people, but if telling the story to Manon managed to calm her down, then maybe telling it to Adrien might also help out this time.  
Adrien was as motionless as a sculpture. Then he gasped for oxygen because he stopped breathing for a while. A tear rolled down his face. And he wiped it with his sleeve because he did not care if any paparazzi was around and he did not care if he was about to be scolded because Adrien Agreste wiped a tear off his face with his sleeve and there were pictures to prove that.

He pulled her into a hug because he needed one. She cried into his shirt and apologized for making it wet but he did not care. Manon stuffed her face with a muffin and hopped around them for a while.  
They broke apart after a long while and he ate one muffin because Manon stuffed it into his face. He was not feeling hungry although the feeling in his stomach was pleasant after he ate it. Marinette just sat there.  
“You know, this muffin really tastes good. Perhaps you should have sold them,” he smiled. Marinette finally raised her eyes to look at him. He knew she was still hurting inside.  
Manon was eating her second muffin and danced around the bench where they sat.  
He noticed that the artificial transparent shade was set up next to the fountain. He ignored the fact that he was probably called to appear back on the set of the photo shoot.  
Inevitably, they found him.  
“Listen, if you’d like, you can come to the set I’ll ask.” he whispered. “Please?”  
Marinette nodded in return and he got up and walked away. He hoped they would get to talk later. He wanted to make her feel better. And he intended to talk about Chat Blanc with Ladybug. He did not know exactly how, but he was about to do just that. He just needed to bring up the subject carefully. He expected she would tell him, he just needed to open the flood gate.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette wanted to fix her error. Adrien just wanted to talk some more.  
> And then he got a bright idea how to bring up the subject with Ladybug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just an idea how the events could have unfolded 'naturally'. At first I wanted to skip this part, but avoiding it required either a lobotomy of the characters or a reveal.

Nadia arrived to the park and picked up Manon. Few greetings, several thank yous and more persuasion to let go of the puppets and Manon left with her mother.

Marinette looked towards the scene of the photo shoot. They looked busy. She wanted to go home and not torture herself by watching the boy she had a crush on while he posed for the fashion magazines. But, there was a more pressing matter, the one that had to be resolved no matter what, she had to store her aching heart and her stuttering to the side for later. She had a task to do.

“Tikki, what have I done? I have to tell Adrien I invented that story. He might tell Nino or Alya and then I am doomed.” Marinette shivered at the idea of the amount of pestering she would have to endure from her best friend, not to mention her identity might be revealed.

“I think it is too late for that. Besides, you were in that mood again.” Tikki actually approved that Adrien (or Chat Noir) heard the story about Chat Blanc. And the fact that it helped Marinette not to get akumatized was a serious bonus. “You can just ask him not to tell anyone, especially Alya or Nino.” And the little red goddess was certain that Adrien would keep it a secret even if she did not ask him.

“Yes, I have betrayed Ladybugs trust by telling him and I can tell everyone else I have invented the story to entertain Manon.” Marinette felt slightly better about herself. That was technically not even a complete lie. She was able to live with herself if she did that.

Reluctantly, she strolled towards the scene of the photo shoot.

Adrien was dressed in white, head to toe. He was supposed to glow the way angels do.

He didn’t.

Inside Adrien, there was a storm of butterflies with razor sharp wings. His heart was breaking, for himself, for Ladybug, and somehow, for Marinette. He noticed how much pain she felt. So Ladybug knew about that and never told him. She simply pushed him away and told him they could never be together. When was she taken to that future? For how long did she know? How long had she suffered before she released her soul to Marinette. It was awful thing to know that. No wonder Ladybug did not tell him. She wanted to spare him, she did not want him to suffer from the knowledge. That was so much like her, to put anyone else before herself.

He pushed the smile on his face, but his eyes were sad and kept escaping to the other end of the park.

Vincent, the photographer, was not happy (to put it mildly).

“Adrien, your eyes are red and glossy. Is this light bothering you?” the photographer gave up on taking more photos.

“Marie, please check if he has some object in his eyes.” Vincent ordered. Everyone relaxed while the make up artist went to check the eyes on the boy model. She did not find anything.

“It might be the dust or he got too much light. How much screen time did you have in the last 24 hours?” Marie asked with her hands on her hips.

“I don’t know, a lot.” Adrien shrugged. It was an excellent excuse for a teenage boy.

The make up artist fixed him and left. Vincent tried a different angle. He was still not happy.

For Adrien, it was literally painful to keep a smile on his face while he wanted to cry. He actually started looking out for a violet butterfly, it would not surprise him.

“Kid, you are in no mood for this job.” Plagg muttered from the white jacket.

Adrien knew his kwami was right, but he had to squeeze at least a few useful photos, otherwise there was repetition of the photo shoot, he was about to be scolded by his father, not to mention everyone here would be disappointed.

Then he saw Marinette as she walked over. His eyes brightened up. She was coming to see him. She wanted to see him. And she even looked better. Well, at least she looked determined to deal with something.

He smiled his genuine smile and it reached his eyes. His eyes were gentle, his smile was gentle.

“Okay, that is it, but you are supposed to look at the camera and not” Vincent turned around to look in the same direction “that bella ragazza.” The photographer had a knowing smirk.

“Ciao bella, andiamo.” The photographer motioned to Marinette to join him behind the camera. The girl was confused and she slowly and reluctantly approached him.

“Come on, now Adrien, let’s do it.” Vincent encouraged the boy as he threw himself around with the camera trying to fetch a photo from different angles.

Adrien did a few different poses before Vincent decided that was enough and they were about to wrap up for the day.

“I just have to switch clothes and I’ll be right with you.” Adrien greeted Marinette and disappeared into the tent.

Most of the crew glanced towards her while they were packing and putting away the equipment. She put the puppets into a cloth bag and wrapped her arms around it.

Adrien was back quickly and after a few words with his bodyguard and Vincent he was allowed to steal a little time to have a walk with Marinette.

“How are you?” Adrien whispered as soon as they turned to walk away.

“I’m good” she lied, but she was better than before. “I wanted to ask you something.”

“Okay.” Adrien did not believe her she was good but trusted that was as much as he was about to get.

“You see, Ladybug told me that and … I told Manon a story, it does not matter to her if it really happened, you know?” Marinette looked at him expectantly and he nodded.

“But, Ladybug trusted me and I think I betrayed her trust when I told you that the story was true.” Marinette looked at her feet. She betrayed herself, that was sure, and she exposed a civilian (worst of all, Adrien) to the kind of angst only superheroes should face.

“Okay” He did not dispute her statement yet. She might be right if Ladybug told her the story about Chat Blanc in complete confidence and Marinette made a doll and told the story to Manon, but also, if it was treated as just a story told to a little girl to entertain her, then there was no harm done, right? Except, now he knew it was true, and he was Chat Noir.

“You see, I wanted to ask you, not to tell anyone, okay?” Marinette spoke quietly but she stopped walking and looked into his eyes. “Anyone at all, not Alya, not Nino. If they hear about it, it was just as story for Manon, please?” She was looking to the ground now, she was asking Adrien to lie for her.

Okay, that was what she wanted? To hide something from his friends. He was rather good at that. Unfortunately. He hid he was Chat Noir, what was this _little_ thing anyway.

“Marinette” he spoke softly and she dared to raise her eyes. “My lips are sealed.” He made a move as if he zipped up his mouth. The next moment he realized his error. Because he intended to tell Ladybug that Chat Noir heard about Chat Blanc from Adrien. Okay he needed a different plan.

“Thank you!” she replied softly. That was a relief. She did what she intended to do, she was able to escape and go home.

“Listen, I have little more time, let’s take a short walk.” he motioned for them to continue walking. And they walked. In silence. He wanted to ask her about Ladybug and how she felt about Chat Noir, but that was not fair, neither to Marinette nor to Ladybug. He should ask her himself. But he needed an excuse for that. It was possible to go with his original plan and then beg forgiveness from Marinette because he just had to tell Chat. Maybe? But, would Marinette ever trust him again? And he wanted to keep her trust.

“So, um, your photo shoot?” Marinette tried. “I mean out in the park, usually it is top secret hush hush?” So it was a question and a change of subject, and it broke the awkward silence, well done!

“Um, yes.” Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. “I think this one had to be done outside. It is not always a secret.” And he did not care much. He was lucky the photo shoot was outside, he was lucky he met Marinette and Manon, and he was lucky the little girl was so talkative, he doubted he would get such information from Marinette alone.

“Do you show your designs to everyone?” he smiled teasingly.

“Um no” she almost froze. She seldom showed her drawings. “But I always show what I made to the girls, you know, Alya, Rose, Juleka, Mylenne and Alix.”

Adrien laughed.

“Alix?” he had to ask. Bunnix, he told himself, well not yet anyway.

“Yes, her too, she likes to look at them.” she shrugged.

He did not want to bring up Chloe or Lila.

Marinette noticed the change in his attitude. His thoughts wandered away. To Chat Blanc and how was he going to bring up that subject with Ladybug that evening.

“You do not have to walk with me if you would rather be somewhere else.” She said quietly as she looked at the pavement.

“No, oh no. I would prefer to be here. I mean, I just don’t know how much time we have until I have to go back to the mansion.” Adrien wanted to stay by her side. He felt better. Because his thoughts have strayed in strange direction. How was he to accept the fact that his love and happiness has ruined the world. Not to mention Ladybug’s love and happiness. He had to be really careful how to bring that up without revealing his identity and without betraying Marinette.

“Listen, you are really amazing person and I should not be surprised that Ladybug used you to spill her guts about her problems. I am really glad she has you and I am not about to tell that to anyone, okay?” he looked at her and she nodded, too scared to do anything else. What was coming next?

“I see that this problem bothered you a lot. I am not telling you to stop. By all means, go for it, whenever she needs you. But if it becomes too much for you to bear it alone for her. I can help, okay. Just call me or send me a message or something.” he was looking at her as she clutched to the puppets harder.

Marinette looked at him and nodded.

“And I am not telling anyone a word about this. How can you do that and then stay silent? Your best friend is Alya, you sit together.” Adrien just could not grasp the whole context. Alya would literally do anything for the information Marinette had. And Marinette had to listen to Lila brag about how Ladybug was her best friend. And she did not say a word.

“Um, yeah, it is hard to keep secrets from Alya.” Marinette whispered.

“So she does not know?” Adrien whispered back.

“Nope” Marinette waved her head.

“Um, so, do you know if she told Chat Noir about that, about Chat Blanc?” he was now completely in her space and put his arm around her shoulders. Once he started a secret conspiracy he just switched to a different persona.

“No” Marinette waved her head. “It would only hurt him.”

“But, he should know. He might do something stupid if he doesn’t know what are the consequences.” Adrien reasoned. It sounded good, right? It might work to persuade Marinette (and Ladybug). In fact, perhaps Marinette could persuade Ladybug to tell Chat on her own the next time they meet.

Yeah, he was a genius.

Or not?

Whatever he was, his time was up and he had to return to the park, so they turned around, he walked her over to the bakery and the car was waiting for him there.

“Had a nice time with Pigtails?” Plagg teased.

Adrien sighed.

The pain of the razor sharp butterflies was back.

He can’t be with Ladybug, ever.

They should never learn the identities of each other.

She loved him back.

She suffered too.

Gabriel Agreste waited on the stairs below the portrait of himself and his son.

He looked stern and cold in real life just like he did in the painting.

Adrien stood on the bottom of the stairs and looked just as heartbroken as in the painting.

The boy knew this was bad news.

“You are a disgrace.” Gabriel snarled.

The boy before him was breaking in painful feelings and Gabriel knew it.

“The results of the photo shoot today are barely according to standards. If I was not facing such a tight deadline, I would have insisted on repeating those.” he continued in the stern voice.

Adrien sighed. So it was done, he did not have to repeat the photo shoot.

“You are going to practice your Chinese until your teacher arrives. You are going to continue with your piano after dinner.” Nathalie read the schedule while Gabriel turned on his heel and walked away.

Adrien walked up the stairs with his head down. Nathalie gave him a pitiful eye. She thought he was sad because of Gabriel, but he was already so low that his father’s words could not even touch him. At least he did not mess up the photo shoot for Vincent, Marie and the others.

“Plagg, that story about Chat Blanc, that is possible, right?” Adrien waited to be alone in his room to start this conversation.

“I have seen stranger things in my lifetime.” The tiny black cat like god of destruction replied avoiding looking Adrien in the eyes.

“So it happened, the way Manon described?” he pushed further.

“It might have, what do I know?” Plagg rolled his eyes.

“So Ladybug had to fight me.” Adrien sat and put his head in his palms.

“Just another akuma for her.” Plagg teased, or just pretended to tease.

“I think today we heard and saw that it was not ‘just another akuma’ for her.” Adrien brushed him off.

Plagg looked down. He witnessed how bad Marinette felt about that and he knew she was Ladybug. But was he supposed to tell that to the boy? Yes she felt awful. How was that supposed to help his chosen feel any better?

Soon, Adrien had to practice Chinese with his teacher, he ate the dinner quickly alone and he played for ten minutes with Nathalie in the room, but then she got tired from that or she just had something else to do and she left. He continued for some time until he got tired from it too.

“I can’t just go to Ladybug as Chat Noir and ask her. It was Adrien who saw the puppet. She could ask Marinette about that. It has to be Chat Noir who saw the puppet.” Adrien contemplated his next move.

“Plagg, have you eaten?” the boy asked to his kwami who rested his head upon a piece of Camembert.

“You want to go out, right? To see pigtails again?” Plagg studied the boy carefully.

“Exactly, Plagg, claws out!” he called and transformed into Chat Noir.

Chat Noir jumped in a long and complicated winding route until he reached Marinette’s balcony. He wanted to take the shortest route, but he had no idea how to start this conversation nor how to lead it to its desired goal. Well, it would be sufficient if he claimed he only saw the puppet, right?

Marinette was on the rooftop terrace, she was reading a book they got for their literature class.

“Good evening, Princess.” He greeted as he landed on the wall that supported chimneys on her rooftop.

She flipped her head around and up so quickly, she might have earned herself a neck injury.

“Good … evening Chaton.” she greeted in a hoarse voice. She was obviously not talking to anyone for some time.

“How are you?” he asked in a quiet and gentle manner as he approached closer in a single jump.

“I’m fine.” she smiled faintly, but it reached her eyes so it counted.

“May I join you for a while?” He cocked his head.

“Um, yes! Why?” her smile grew wider. She was glad to see him. He just had to be careful.

“I just … could use some company.” and that was the truth even if that was not the reason why he was there.

“Okay.” she put the folded piece of paper in the book and closed it. “I have some cookies here, please help yourself. I could bring hot chocolate in a minute if you want?”

He was not there for the treats, but the words ‘hot chocolate’ provoked a physical reaction in him and sort of became visible in the shape of his cat ears and his tail that Marinette knew instantly he wanted it.

“You don’t have to do that.” He replied quietly.

“Oh, but you want it, don’t you?” she almost teased him. She got up and went downstairs.

There, left on the lounge chair and wrapped in the blanket, were the puppets of Chat Noir and Chat Blanc.

And Chat Noir had to suppress his tears again. Because he knew Marinette held them in her lap under the blanked the whole time. That girl was so sweet. She told him she loved him once. What was the reason he refused … oh yes, Ladybug.

He carefully took both puppets with his clawed hands and held them. They were really well made. The Chat Noir one really resembled him well. He could not tell the same about the Chat Blanc puppet, he simply did not know. How did Marinette know? Did Ladybug help her? Or she simply replaced the colours and made the same puppet again?

He held the puppets and waited for her return.

He hoped she would tell him at least something, anything, that was sufficient to ask Ladybug about it later.

Marinette was back up holding two cups of hot chocolate in one hand. She did not spare him a glance until she carefully laid both cups on her small table.

“There you go, still awfully hot, you might want to wait for a few minutes before you try.” The girl smiled and looked at his face. Chat smiled back. Well, he wanted to smile back. He felt like he was supposed to reward her smile by one of his own. In the end, it was an awkward grimace of sad eyes and a shaky grin.

“What is bothering you, Chat?” she whispered. It was clear something was bothering him if he was out at that hour with no akuma in sight.

And then the girl noticed what he held in his hands.

She looked at the puppets and then she looked back at his face.

“I saw them here.” he pointed his claw into the lounge chair. “You really made a nice puppet out of me here.” He lifted up the Chat Noir puppet.

“Yeah, thanks, um, if I remember correctly, Puppeteer used it against you and Ladybug once, sorry.” Marinette whispered.

“Yes, but it does not matter, apparently she used other dolls and figures whenever available?” Chat joked about the situation in the Wax museum.

Marinette smiled back as she remembered what happened there. But then her smile disappeared because she remembered another event from the same day and the same museum, when she almost kissed Adrien because she thought he was a statue of him, and she confessed how she felt about him.

Chat Noir remembered it too and worried at the change in her expression. Was she mad about that? Was she sad? Angry? Did he hurt her that much with his dumb joke?

“Um, I wanted to ask you about this one.” he lifted the Chat Blanc puppet. “What is this?”

Marinette’s eyes went wide in panic. She looked at the puppet and then his eyes and then back to the puppet.

“Um yes, that is you.” She stammered out. Then she wondered why she said that. Well it was already out from her mouth.

“Me?” Chat Noir asked after a short silence.

“Yes, you, just in different colour.” Marinette shrugged. Perhaps that was sufficient explanation.

“You were out of black cloth?” Chat teased.

“Maybe?” the girl shrugged. There was no way she was telling him, there was no way. But how was she to create a believable lie? She bit what he offered.

“And you gave me blue eyes.” Chat continued as he observed the puppet carefully looking for anything that might help him.

He turned the doll around and then flicked the tiny bell that was sewn on the neck. It did not ring. Then he flicked the bell on the Chat Noir puppet. It chimed. He examined the bell on Chat Blanc puppet. Marinette stared at him and raised her hands in alarm as if she was getting ready to pounce at him, all she needed was a plausible excuse.

But he stuck his claw into the tiny bell and pulled out a tiny piece of violet cloth. It was in a shape of a butterfly.

He turned to Marinette and stared at her.

She looked at the tiny butterfly with so much fear in her eyes as if it was a real akuma going after her.

Or him.

“Princess.” he whispered gently. “Is this an akuma?”

She continued staring at the tiny violet piece of cloth.

“Princess, is this me, but akumatized?” he lifted the Chat Blanc puppet.

Marinette continued to stare at the puppet.

He waited for her answer in silence. He knew enough. He got enough to have an excuse to ask Ladybug. He had no clue why he was asking that question to Marinette.

And then she nodded.

And then he knew the answer.

She was not able to lie to him about that.

And then her eyes were becoming wet and he pulled her closer and into a hug.

He pushed the butterfly back into the bell using his claws. It was tricky but he made it.

She almost prevented him, she wanted to stop him, as if what he was doing was wrong, as if he was getting akumatized again just because he stuffed a tiny piece of cloth into a toy.

“It is okay, Princes. I am not getting akumatized. But I made you sad. I’m sorry.” he smiled and looked at her gently and she smiled back but then it was as if his gentle smile and his eyes have made her feel even worse. She hid her face in her hands and sobbed. But he did not let her go, he pulled her closer.

“I am not getting akumatized, but I made you so sad that you might be, and I don’t want that, Princess.” he whispered gently.

The worst part was that he knew he was right. He saw people who were less distressed or at least had much weaker reason to be and got akumatized. He had to fix that, he was there only to have an excuse to talk about Chat Blanc with Ladybug.

He reached out for the book she was reading and opened it on the marked page and started to read it out loud for her.

After a while he noticed she was listening. One page later she removed her hands from her face. On the next page she said she had to make a note on that part, so she did.

He continued to read and he even produced weird voices when he was reading the spoken parts and she laughed. She was feeling better. And he was feeling better too. He did not read that particular book yet and he was trying to memorize where the important parts were in the book to be able to make his own notes tomorrow. He even threw in a few puns while he was reading the text. She rolled her eyes and glared at him from time to time when he did that.

They were finished with the book only after several hours of reading, laughing and having fun.

“This is the most fun I had with a literature assignment, like, ever.” she laughed.

“Me too.” he smiled back gently. But when she saw his eyes and that gentle smile again something inside her broke and her lower lip quivered again and she bit it.

What was wrong with him? Why was he making her cry?

He changed his expression again into a smirk.

“Come on Princess, you are finished with your assignment and it is really late. We should both get some sleep.” he got to his feet.

She got up too and smiled back as she retrieved the book.

“You are a real hero Chat.” she whispered.

“Yeah, fighting akumas and literature assignments.” he smirked.

“Thank you and good night.” she smiled again.

“Good night” he vaulted away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir will finally talk with Ladybug in the next chapter (drafted but not ready).


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the talk between Ladybug and Chat Noir.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand here it is, the last part.

The Sunday morning breakfast for Adrien was the usual, lonely, breakfast cereal, daily schedule from Nathalie. He was contemplating to ask Ladybug to use Marinette as Multimouse more often. Perhaps they could train her. She was so good, she saved them that day. And then there was an akuma attack notification on his phone

Marinette was home and had just finished her breakfast and excused herself pretending to go study, while she transformed and jumped away from her roof.

The fight was over quickly, but both of them used their powers. Chat Noir kept glancing towards Ladybug more often than usual and she dreaded the attention as she was hoping beyond hope he would not ask her about the Chat Blanc puppet he saw when he visited Marinette last night. She had no time to invent a story that would cover for the puppet.

“My Lady, I need to talk to you.” Chat pleaded.

“Okay, we can meet here in five minutes.” Ladybug replied. There was no way around that. She could not brush him off and this was probably the best chance she had to speak with him.

He was back in two minutes but she needed all five to return.

“Ladybug.” he started talking and she rose her eyes in alarm as soon as he did not call her by any of the nicknames he used for her.

He cleared his throat when he saw her reaction.

“Um, you see, I want to ask you a question and it is kind of stupid, but please be honest with me.” he pleaded.

Ladybug nodded and looked at him determinedly.

“Was I ever akumatized?” he stared directly into her eyes. Her face was pure astonishment, her eyes went wide, her mouthed formed an ‘o’ and she had to remember how to breathe. She was expecting him asking about Chat Blanc, but she did not expect such a straightforward question.

He waited for an answer.

She kept staring at him.

He waited some more.

She nodded and looked down. Because she knew what he knew (he actually knew more).

He took in a long steady breath.

She took a long and shaky breath.

‘oh no’ crossed his mind.

“How did that happen?” he asked. The logical question was ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ but he assumed he knew the answer to that already.

“I … I don’t know. Bunnix came for me one day and took me to some future.” Ladybug whispered and kept her head down.

Then she stopped talking and Chat Noir waited for her to continue.

“Can you tell me something more?” he inquired gently.

“You were alone, all alone, there was nobody there. Paris was destroyed and flooded. The Moon was cut in half.” she spoke the facts as they surfaced her mind. Chat winced when he heard about the Moon.

“You were … “ she motioned with her hand to show him from head to toe, but she did not raise her eyes. “You were the same, but white, with icy blue eyes.” she whispered the last words.

Chat Noir looked at her more gently. His green eyes were so warm. But she could not see them, she was looking to the ground.

“I fought you. You could send a blast of cataclysm. You could destroy anything. Even at a distance.” she continued whispering quickly.

“What else did you see? Do you know anything that happened? Please, bug. I don’t want to make the same error if I can prevent it.” he whispered.

Oh she knew what the error was and she was doing everything she could to prevent him from repeating the same error.

She kept silent.

“You were pulled to the future?” Chat Noir asked quietly.

Ladybug nodded in response.

“Do you know how far in advance?” he asked further.

Ladybug shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Was there a Ladybug with me, did she fight me? What happened to her?” He continued with his questions.

Of course his concern was her. Well it was that other her, the one who loved him, he would ask about her for certain, what else would he think about. But it was that other her from the other timeline, the one this Chat had never met, wrong, he met her, it was the same Ladybug, more or less. And she was becoming aware that this Ladybug loved him too.

“During the fight, I fell into the water and then I saw her, and Hawk Moth, they were statues, as if they were made of sand.” She replied quietly.

“Did I kill you?” the words were out from his mouth before he thought about them.

Ladybug shrugged. She could not lie, because he probably did, she could not confirm because that would destroy him. And it was not as if she knew, she did not see it happen.

Chat Noir understood what was the answer.

“I actually don’t know.” she finally squeezed the words out in a breath.

But he knew what she suspected. He knew it all too well. His powers were enhanced, he could destroy the world, he knew he killed her in that timeline, her and everyone else, including Hawk Moth.

“So what happened?” he whispered softly.

“You were actually nice to me, you wanted me to give you my miracoulous so you would undo what you did. You wanted our love back.” Ladybug whispered.

Chat Noir gaped, well of course he wanted that, it made sense.

He extended his arm and put it on her shoulder.

“I did not give you the miraculous. I fought you. The akuma was … “ she flicked his bell. “But it took me a long time to find it.”

“So you purified the akuma and brought everything back?” he asked quietly.

She raised her eyes. She was tempted to just nod and confirm leaving out a few facts. But then she waved her head.

“No, I … had to remove that timeline, I had to go back in time and erase the error I did.” She struggled to speak, her voice was shaky.

“What error?” He inquired, how was his lady blaming herself for what happened.

“I can’t tell you that, Chat. I made an error and you learned my identity.” she was crying now, he was sure. He gently and tentatively pulled her into a hug, he let her pull away at any time, but she did not, so he held her. He wanted to make things easier. He watched the surroundings carefully there were no violet butterflies around. He had to be careful.

“I deserved to be destroyed.” Ladybug winced at his words. “You did good when you removed that timeline.”

She could not have him think that way about himself.

“No Chat. You kept calling me by my real name, Chat.” She sniffled. “You kept telling me you loved me, using my real name.” She took a shaky breath. “And that I loved you. You were confused because I did not remember you, our love, what happened, you asked why my hair was in pigtails again.” And then she sobbed. He held her tight and checked for butterflies. He did not notice that there were tears rolling down his face too.

“So, you see, I cant ever love you.” she whispered shakily. It was a lie. She already did. “And we must never learn the identities of each other. Because I don’t know what actually caused what happened.” And there was more.

“But I loved you, and I knew your civilian identity.” he whispered while tears rolled down his face and dripped down into Ladybug’s hair. He knew he would love the girl behind the mask, he just did. He smiled through the tears although his body was shaking because he was crying.

He felt her nod into his chest.

“And I love...d you.” she whispered into his chest barely making any sound, but he was Chat Noir with enhanced hearing so he heard every word.

“Did you know my identity too?” he asked quietly.

She waved her head.

“I mean I didn’t.” she added. “Apparently that other Ladybug did.”

“And I got akumatized because we loved each other and knew the identities of each other and I destroyed the world.” Chat whispered.

“I don’t know how you got akumatized, Chat, I really don’t know.” she whispered. She could not have him carry all that guilt. “It was not your fault Chat. It was not your fault! Do you understand that?” She raised her blue eyes that were red and wet surrounded by swollen eyelids.

She even grabbed his shoulders and shook him. “It was not your fault.”

He smiled at her gently while the tears continued to drip from his eyes, few even fell straight onto her cheek because she remained close to his chest.

“When did that happen?” he asked quietly.

“I already told you, I don’t know exactly, Bunnix took me to the future.” Ladybug waved her head as she whispered.

“No, I mean, when she took you from this time, when was that?” Chat clarified what he was asking.

“I um. That was … a few weeks ago, maybe.” She did not want to tell him the exact day.

“Come on, My Lady, I’m sure you remember.” he encouraged her.

She knew exactly which day it was.

“It was St Athanase day.” she replied again so quietly that he would not hear it without his enhanced abilities. She hoped that did not reveal anything in particular. It was just a day. She delivered that beret to Adrien (well she made it for him too) and told him it was from his fans.

So it was about a month ago, he thought. He remembered how gentle she was towards him, he remembered the look she had in her eyes that day. He remembered how he hoped that her feelings have started to change. And he remembered with how much resolve she told him they could not be together like that. And now he understood why, he understood how hard and how painful that was for her. And now, he was sure his lady loved him.

“You know I love you, Bug.” he whispered with a shaky breath.

“You can’t” she whisper shouted. “You shouldn’t.” She almost pushed him away.

“I will always love you but I will never ask for more than friendship from you, My Lady.” He smiled gently. “Friends can also love each other, right?” He whispered hopefully. At least they should be able to have that, otherwise, what was the point.

He checked the surroundings and saw it, a tiny violet speck fluttered towards them.

“My Lady, please” he turned her towards the speck and pointed.

She sighed and threw her yoyo after the butterfly and purified it.

Ladybug hunched her back and let her arms hang in front of her in defeat.

“Chat ..” she started.

“We are staying here until we both feel better. We have to talk, right.” he whispered heavily. It was very hard for him.

“Thank you Chat.” she whispered as she turned and smiled at him through her tears. “We should keep watching for them.”

They both knew they were in such an emotional state that would draw more akuma. So the wisest thing to do was to stay together and watch out for each other while they helped each other to be at least okay. Because they were partners and friends and as such they should help each other out.

Ladybug should not go to Marinette and cry herself out, right? Chat Noir thought.

They sat down on the rooftop and soon started to chat, joke and banter as always. And spot and purify few more violet butterflies, but they stopped coming after a while.

“You should find a girl that would love you.” Ladybug told him suddenly. She finally collected strength to say that. She had to let him go. She already let go of Adrien.

“What about you? What about that boy you like?” he teased her. But the way her face squirmed and she bit her lower lip because it started to shake told him that was a wrong question to ask.

“I had to let him go ~~too~~. He loves someone else.” she whispered quickly before she hid her face in her hands. Chat pulled her in a side hug and watched around for butterflies again.

“It is okay. She makes him happy.” she continued when she felt slightly better. Her breathing was still heavy and shaky but she was not sobbing any more.

Chat felt his heart squeeze in a painful way.

“We were never together anyway.” She smiled gently looking at her hands. “He is my friend.” She added after a short break. “She is too.” she smiled again.

Chat could not believe her words.

“You are so strong My Lady.” he spoke quietly.

“So, are you going to find a girl who would love you and make you happy?” she smiled and nudged him with her elbow. “I bet they are standing in a queue just waiting for such dashing young lad like you.” She teased.

“Um, not really.” Chat replied reluctantly. (That is actually not true because girls are literally waging wars because of him, competing for his attention, bullying each other etc. in the show, but he is made such oblivious character that this is the only possible answer he could give).

“Come on, they must be throwing themselves at you and shouting ‘I love you’ all the time.” Ladybug teased.

The fans often did that, but he never took them seriously, because he did not know them. Chloe threw herself at him, but it made him feel disgusted. Lila … made him want to run away and scrub his skin away. Kagami wanted to kiss him but … he just did not want to kiss her back, he did not feel that way. In fact, there was only one girl he knew who actually told him that she loved him while he did not consider her a simple distant fangirl and he trusted that she meant it. Marinette did meet Chat Noir a few times and they had substantial interaction, during Evilustrator and the few times he saved her as Chat Noir and then he took her to that roof top candle lit terrace and she loved it. And she was heartbroken when he did that, when he took her to a romantic evening. Was that the reason she told him that she loved him? She definitely knew his Chat Noir persona, probably the best when he omitted Ladybug, of course.

“I am not looking for some fangirl to adore me.” Chat Noir teased back mock offended.

“What about you, boys must be throwing themselves before your feet, asking you out on dates, writing poems about you.” Chat Noir teased.

Ladybug actually blushed. Oh-ho he was getting somewhere with that. And then he felt that pang of jealousy in his stomach. Nope. She deserved to be happy. Go away you nasty feelings.

“There is one, but I just don’t feel that way about him no matter how hard I try.” Ladybug was exasperated.

Chat Noir sighed.

“But that should not prevent you from finding someone.” she nudged him again but looked away. Because her eyes were becoming wet again. Why was it so hard to let him go?

They stayed on that rooftop for hours and went home just because they were expected to appear for dinner soon. Ladybug rushed home because she was expected to help her parents in preparing the dinner.

Chat took a long way home. He was only expected to appear at a giant dinner table and if he was extremely lucky, he would be joined by his father.

But he ate his dinner alone.

Plagg was scared his chosen might get akumatized during the whole dinner. He was so concerned he forgot to ask about cheese.

When he got to his room, Adrien produced a cheese triangle and gave it to Plagg.

“There is only one girl who ever told me that she loved me, Plagg.” Adrien said quietly. “I mean, if I ignore all the girls who practically never met me.”

“You know I don’t like to talk about that.” Plagg chewed on his cheese. If the kid was talking about Marinette, the small black cat preferred to stay silent. Because he had a lot to say on the subject, but shouldn’t.

Adrien waited for Plagg to finish his cheese and played his piano. He was determined to do something about it tonight.

Nathalie checked on him and left as soon as she appeared at the door.

After few more minutes, there was no cheese left any more.

“Plagg, claws out.” Adrien called and transformed into Chat Noir.

He vaulted over rooftops enjoying the scenery until he reached Marinette’s balcony.

She stood on the balcony and enjoyed the view. There was a plate with cookies and macarons on the small table on the rooftop terrace.

He reminded himself he was not there for the cookies.

“Hi Chat Noir.” she waved her hand. She seemed better than she looked last night. On the other hand, she was happy to see him because that way she knew he was okay.

“Hello Princess. How are you this fine evening?” Chat bowed as he stood on the wall on the edge of the rooftop terrace.

“I, um, fine?” Marinette shrugged. “Please help yourself with the cookies. I can fetch you something to drink.”

“Thank you, Princess.” He jumped down onto the terrace and took one macaron.

Marinette watched him with a small smile.

“This is delicious.” he smiled with his mouth closed while he finished the macaron.

“So what brings this knight here this evening?” Marinette teased quietly. He could feel she was not her usual bubbly self, but she was definitely getting better.

“I wanted to talk with you about something.” Chat Noir grinned his wide and crocked smile.

Marinette swallowed and hoped it was not about what she feared it was.

Then she nodded for him to continue.

“Well, Ladybug clearly said we should never be together, I mean, like a couple, you know, we will always be together like partners and friends, but not like … that. And we can’t because” he motioned towards the Chat Blanc puppet on her lounge chair. He wished he prepared himself for this better, but he did not, he just jumped into it, like he usually did. “And I have decided to move on, you know. And so I have ...”

Marinette gave one rather scared nod.

“Su I um.” he looked down at his feet. He really wished he prepared himself for this. “I was thinking. You are a really nice person. I mean, you are amazing, and … and I would like … would you like to go on a date with me?” he blurted out the last part after he suffered speaking through the words one by one before.

Marinette stared at him with her eyes wide and her mouth formed in an ‘o’. Not unlike that day when she was talking to him as Ladybug. When she told him to find some other girl to love, she was not considering this even as an option.

“I’m sorry, I did not mean to make this awkward. I mean you know how I feel about Ladybug, but I really want to try, I really need … you?” he rambled.

She could not move. There was nothing on her mind. Her brain stopped processing thoughts. How did she get herself in this mess? And how was she to tell him no, again? And what possible excuse did she have?

“I just meant, I mean, I remembered … when you told me … here … that you loved me. You are the first and the only girl who really knew me and told me those words. Because I am not counting those fangirls, you know?” he rambled again.

Oh, were her eyes becoming wet again?

She could not believe her luck. Was Tikki really a goddess of good fortune? She must have exhausted her reserves over the millennia if she was left with this. She was getting forks for her lucky charms and now this mess of her love life. She was a teenager, it felt complicated even when it was simple.

“And it is not just to forget Ladybug, I never could. But you are so nice, so good, so amazing, so … I think I should have given you a chance before.” he whispered the last words and understood how much he meant them.

But she was crying and smiling widely. Because this boy wanted her, the civilian her, to go on a date with him. She felt wanted. And she knew how she felt about him.

Chat’s eyes were full of hope.

And she knew she could never have him.

Then she pushed all her feelings away as she remembered Chat Blanc. She was not supposed to love him. That was what caused that disaster (at least she thought so).

“Chat I … am a civilian and you are a superhero.” she whispered while she looked to the floor on her side, hiding her eyes that were filling with tears she was not able to stop. “We should not … I could be used against you, you know.” She took in a shaky breath. “That was, stupid! Of me. To tell. You that.” she pushed the words out. “I am really sorry.”

And then she was crying again and he wrapped his arms around her because it worked last night and he made her cry again and he was such a disaster because he stopped counting how many times he made her cry in the last few days.

“It is okay, Marinette.” he whispered. “But, please, let’s not make things awkward, we can still be friends, right?” he asked gently. Because he was sure she loved him. But he had to calm her, to make her feel better, because he did not come there to make her cry.

She remembered her stupid advice, her stupid plea, how could she have asked him to find a girlfriend just like that. She could not find a replacement for Adrien, she tried and failed, she loved him so much, well she obviously had feelings for Chat too, but she could not let them develop into anything more than friendship. Perhaps she was able to clarify what her advice was without revealing herself?

“Chat, A boy like you deserves all the love in the world.” She finally spoke quietly when she stopped sobbing enough that she could form words. “But you should not try and make a relationship as superhero you. Maybe you should try and find love as your civilian self?” she whispered.

Chat let an affirmative hum.

They stood like that. Chat mentally slapped himself for the way he asked her on a date, it was stupid, totally stupid, of course she had to say no. But she did not mention Luka. He forgot about the boy. He decided not to ask her about that because it might make her cry again. It obviously did not work out.

After a long silence, Chat asked her about the literature project and if she needed any other help with her school project and after eating cookies and few more jokes they were laughing and when the sun got low his alarm beeped that it was time to return to the mansion or his absence was to be discovered.

So he left hopping from one rooftop to another.

Did he rush this? He did. He definitely did. But she was right, having a relationship between Marinette and Chat Noir was not a good idea. But perhaps he could have a relationship with her as Adrien? Well she did tell him more than once that she did not feel about him that way. But, she did tell Chat Noir she loved him. He knew what he had to do to have her feel the same was about Adrien. He just had to behave around her the same way Chat did. Oh, this was going to be fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just could not resist to add that last part :)

**Author's Note:**

> That is definitely one akuma that is not represented in the wax museum (I wander about Weredad too, how many actually know?)


End file.
